(Welcome to Cardboard Cinema, a feature that explores the intersection between movies and tabletop gaming. This column is sponsored by Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy in Austin, Texas.)

In this edition of Cardboard Cinema, we’ll be taking a look at a slew of upcoming board games that will surely have something to offer movie fans: a new miniatures war game inspired by Game of Thrones, a cooperative action game based on the Rambo movies, a card game set in the world of Scott Pilgrim, a board game that might as well be a Jurassic Park game, and a pen and paper RPG based on the comedy classic Wet Hot American Summer.

John Rambo is bursting back onto the big screen. Nu Image / Millennium Films is firing up Rambo: New Blood, with Ariel Vromen (Criminal) set to direct and Brooks McLaren on board to write. The catch? This isn’t a Rambo sequel, but rather a Rambo reboot that’s moving ahead without Sylvester Stallone. Read More »

The work of make-up artists doesn’t always get the recognition it should. While some make-up jobs are more obvious when you have tons of prosthetic and face paint work in movies such as X-Men: Apocalypse or Men in Black, others require the creation of more traditional effects such as The Revenant or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Now one make-up artist shows how she can transform herself into a myriad of characters, celebrities and more, and she does it all without the use of prosthetics. In the video below, see make-up artist Lucia Pittalis transform into the likes of Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, Al Pacino as Scarface, Sylvester Stallone as John Rambo, John Belushi as Joliet Jake from The Blues Brothers and more. Read More »

Fox announced a number of shows based on their pre-existing franchises for the Television Critics Association, focusing on 24: Legacy and the return of Prison Break. They are additionally developing Hellfire Club, based on the location seen in X-Men: First Class. (Another X-Men-based show, Legion, is in the works at sister network FX.) Fox chairman and CEO Dana Walden said Hellfire Club could be seen as early as one year from now.

“Unlikely it would be the fall,” Walden said. “Potentially midseason but no immediate plans. We’re still working on Hellfire Club. Obviously those executive producers are very busy with the film franchise and the FX show, so not sure.”

Below, Fox execs give a small update on the developing Rambo TV series, and explain why the new Urban Cowboy isn’t moving forward.

2008’s Rambo said everything it needed to about its titular character. Writer, director, and star Sylvester Stallone gave the character closure, just as he did for Rocky Balboa with 2006’s Rocky Balboa. Nevertheless, the Creed star has expressed interest over the years in making another sequel, possibly calledLast Blood Rambo. But apparently he’s had a change of heart.

Learn why Stallone will not direct another Rambo sequel after the jump.

Last week, we got word of a Rambo TV series in the works over at Fox. At the time, /Film writer Jacob Hall snarked that “you should always write Rambo news with dry erase markers” because plans to continue the franchise have been in constant flux over the past several years. Well, break out the erasers: things have indeed changed again.

Despite earlier reports indicating that Sylvester Stallone would executive produce and possibly even reprise his role as John Rambo for the show, Stallone’s reps have now gone on the record to clarify that he is not involved with the project “in any way at all.” And that, in turn, means the Rambo TV series likely won’t be moving forward at Fox after all. Read More »

Anyway, you should always write Rambo news with dry erase markers because the plans have once again changed. Rambo V may not be dead yet, but it’ll now have to compete with Rambo: New Blood, a new television series that will continue the story of John Rambo on Fox. Oh, and Rambo’s long-lost son will be along for the ride.

July 4th weekend is always a bankable one at the box office. There’s always some kind of major release hitting the big screen to get people as they enjoy some time off for Independence Day, and people flock to theaters to see stuff they missed from the previous weeks or just to see something again with their friends and family.

This past weekend, Jurassic World dominated the box office for a fourth weekend in a row, edging out Pixar’s Inside Out again and keeping Magic Mike XXL and Terminator: Genisys down as well. Those are some big offerings, but back in the summer of 1985, the line-up of movies available in theaters, according to a newspaper clipping, was both impressive and much different as far as the variety of offerings.

Back in June we heard whispers that Sylvester Stallone was prepping another installment of the Rambo franchise. And now a new rumor suggests the Rambo 5 title might be Rambo: Last Blood. That can’t be serious, can it?Read More »

One of Sylvester Stallone‘s signature film series, Rambo, is trotting down the path to television, and Sly is in talks to consult and potentially star. Entertainment One and Nu Image, the company with which Stallone has worked on The Expendables films, will partner to develop and produce a TV series based on the character.

Update: Stallone’s reps talked to THR, and were scornful of the idea of Stallone appearing in the TV series. The quote is below.